Improvement in powder and shot chargers for fire-arms



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A. HALL. Powder and Shot Chargers for Fine Arms.

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AM. PHOTOi/THOGRAFHICCO. MKg'osBaRNE'SPRocESsj) Patemted May 13, 1873.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT HALL, or NEWYORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN POWDER AND SHOT CHARGERS FOR FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,751, dated May 13, 1873; application filed October 1, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT HALL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Powder and Shot Charger Attachments to Flasks, Pouches and Belts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, and in whichv Figures 1 and 2 represent longitudinal sectional views, at right angles to each other, of a powder or shot charger constructed in accordance with my improvement; Fig. 3, an exterior longitudinal view of the dischargetube of the charger; and Fig. 4, a view of a longitudinal slide which fits thereon.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to powder and shot charger attachments to flasks, pouches, and belts, in which two slides or cutoffs, arranged at variable distances apart to operate simultaneously but in opposite directions transversely within the discharge tube of the charger, are used, said slides being ordinarily worked from opposite sides of the fulcrum of a thumb-lever, and the space between them forming the measure of capacity of the powder or shot. As these chargers have heretofore been constructed, it has been necessary, in order to vary the distance apart of the slides for the purpose of increasing or diminishing the charge, to take out the screw which attaches the one slide to the lever, and, after suitably adjusting said slide in one or other of two or more graduated slots in the dischargetube, to again connect it with the lever by the screw at a greater or less distance fromthe fulcrum of the lever. This is an awkward and very inconvenient mode of adjustment, especially to sportsmen and others when engaged in the act of gunning. My invention general- 1 y consists in a charger of novel construction, whereby, without any detachment of either cut-off or slide, the distance apart of the two slides may be varied as required, to change the amount of charge, by a simple sliding provision or means on and along the dischargetube, and the slide, which is thus adjusted, is securely held at its set or gaged distance from the other slide or cut-off.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A represents the discharge-tube of a flask, pouch, or belt, to which it may be secured, as usual, by a screw-thread on its inner end. B B are the two slides or cut-offs, arranged to intersect said tube, and operated simultaneously in reverse directions by a thumb-lever, G, from opposite sides of the fulcrum b of the latter, to load the charger and discharge its measured load as required, as also to provide for filling the powder or shot receptacle to which the charger is attached, a spring,c, under the lever, serving, in the normal condition of the parts, to keep the slide B closed, as usual with other powder and shot chargers.

The one slide, B, maybe connected in a permanent manner by a screw or joint pin with the lever O, and works through the ordinary narrow slot d in the discharge-tube, but the other slide, B, is attached to the opposite arm of said lever by a slot, s, or otherwise, in a loose manner, so as to admit of a free sliding adjustment of it along the lever. This transverse slide B works through a narrow slot, 6, in an outer longitudinal slide or ring, 1), fitted over or upon the discharge-tube A, and so as to cover an enlarged side opening, 9, in the discharge-tube, through which opening the slide B not only works in a transverse direction to the discharge-tube to open and close the latter, but'is also adjustable along said opening indirection of the length of the discharge-tube by moving in or out the longitudinal slide 1) upon or along the dischargetube, whereby the measure of capacity between thetwo slides is changed without detaching either transverse slide or cut-off for the purpose.

a Any suitable gage may be applied for determining the longitudinal adjustment of the slide B, relatively to the other cross-slide B, to give to the charger any desired measure of capacity. A convenient means for this purpose, and which will serve to hold the longitudinal slide D from accidentally slipping from its set, consists in a connection, with the slide D, either directly by a straight spring, or by an arm with a spiral or other spring, h, intervening, of a finger stud or pin, Gr, pressedoutward by the spring and arranged to enter a longitudinal slot, H, in the discharge-tube.

This slot is enlarged at its ends 6 z'also', if desired, at one or more points intermediately of its ends to receive within either of such enlarged portions an inner swell, 7c, of the pin Gr when pressure of the finger or thumb is taken off the latter. This looks the longitudinal slide D and transverse slide B at their set in direction of the length of the discharge-tube, in accordance with the particular enlarged portion i of the slot E, into which the swell k of the pin has been permitted to enter. To adjust the cross-slide B to a difierent distance from the cut-ofi' B, it will be necessary, first, to press inward on the pin G to take its swell is out of either opening or enlarged portion 1' of the slot H, when said pin is free to move along the slot in common with the longitudinal adjustment of the slide D till the pin reaches the other or next enlarged opening, 6, it is desired to gage the charger to. Thumbcharger to measure a one-ounce, an ounce and a quarter, or an ounce and a half charge, or any other quantities of measurement that may be desired.

What is here claimed, and desired to be socured by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the discharge-tube A and cross-slides B B, of the side opening 9 in said tube, and the slotted outer longitudinal slide I), arranged to cover the opening g, and receiving the one cross-slide through it for adjustment within the opening g in direction of the length of the discharge-tube, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. Ihe thumb-lever O, in slotted or free connection with the adjustable cross-slide B, in combination with the slotted longitudinal slide D a-nd'discharge-tube A, provided with an enlarged side opening, essentially as specilied.

A. HALL.

Witnesses:

1\'IICHAEL RYAN, FRED. HAYNES. 

